Georgia teacher under fire for linking students’ Christianity to parents’ votes for Obama

A Dublin, Georgia administrator says officials have “addressed” concerns over a teacher’s comment to students that “any parent who supports [Obama] is not a Christian,” according to NBC affiliate WMGT.

Dublin City Schools Superintendent Chuck Ledbetter told the television news station that “we’re always going to address our issues and learn and move forward and grow.”

The issue began after Nancy Perry reportedly made the comments to students in her classroom at Dublin Middle School several weeks ago, according to a letter sent to the Dublin City School Board by the Dublin Laurens NAACP.

Then an unnamed parent raised the issue at a school board meeting on March 23, where he outlined the teacher’s behavior, the school’s response, and his dissatisfaction with the lack of disciplinary action.

According to a letter from the Dublin Laurens NAACP posted on the Laurens County Democratic Party Facebook page, the teacher told her students President Obama is not a Christian and “any parent who supports him is not a Christian.” She also challenged her students to “prove their Christianity.”

According to the civil rights group, the parents met several days later with the teacher and her husband, who is a Dublin City School board member. Ledbetter confirms a school board member attended the parent-teacher conference, but would name the board member.

“A board member being in a parent-teacher conference can tip the balance, or at least from the appearance, tip the balance of fairness,” he said. “It is not a practice that we can allow.”

The teacher at the center of this incident, Nancy Perry, tells 41NBC she was advised not to speak with the media. She did tell 41NBC what has been reported is “untrue” and she calls this an “unfortunate issue.” Ledbetter says Perry is still working at Dublin Middle School.